As of right now, based on all of the witness chats I've been involved in to date, I can tell you that the answer is a resounding "No."

I would very much assume this.

There is no "slippery slope," as many people keep warning about.

I actually think that the slippery slope would have been to do nothing and wait and see. Once sliding, the potential "switch" would have been flicked and there would be zero anyone could do. This might be somewhat of a bright line, but it keeps the ground level for now until more is known.

Yes, this is true. Witnesses can do that. It's part of the DPoS protocols. It's the way the system was intentionally designed.

It was always possible, people lived under the understanding (illusion) it was not. I think those that should know and might complain about the decision to do it, knew. In my opinion, I would rather accept that it is possible than do my best to avoid it by believing it would never be done. The usage of the consensus in this way should actually bring some peace of mind to some people as it proves that witnesses will make hard decisions when they feel they have to. This is a turning point for the blockchain, and it should be a wakeup call for all witnesses and aspiring witnesses - as well as the relatively "disinterested" community.